Fertiliser for Tomatoes

[united4ever]

Hi, I planted some tomatoe seeds a couple of weeks ago. They are now seedlings and today I potted them in this compost, wilko basic compost.

www.wilko.com/compost/wilko-functional-multi-purpose-compost-15l/invt/0071522

I hope that is suitable? It's what the seeds were in too.

Should I put some fertiliser in when i water them now? and if so which one? I believe the type of soil they are in affects the type of fertiliser you should use.

They are on the windowsill now but I plan on transfering them to the green house this week.

Anything else which is inadvisable about my plans then just let me know - this is my first attempt as you can probably tell:)

[PurpleWithRed]

no fertiliser necessary till about 6 weeks after they've been potted on into their final pots, then use any tomato fertiliser as per instructions. Most multipurpose has own fertiliser that lasts about 6 weeks.

[bookbook]

Give them chance to harden off , so put them in the greenhouse during the day, bring them in on a night, for about 7 days. Then they wont get shocked by the drop in temperature so much. Start feeding them when the fruit trusses start to form. But water regularly, so when the fruit have set, you don't split them

[GreenMarkerPen]

no fertiliser until they show the first flowers.
then giving them a tomato fertiliser (in every gardening aisle).

[united4ever]

Great to know. Thanks, similarly related, I repotted some strawberry plants today in 20cm diameter pots. They are in the greenhouse now. Do they need any fertiliser?

[bookbook]

I have my strawberries outside ( have been all winter ) they are tough! I'm awfully mean with mine, whether they are in the ground, or in pots. I just leave them to it , unless it gets very dry. But I do have a lot....:)

[GreenMarkerPen]

fresh compost I assume? then that should do. they need bigger pots though, they have big roots.

[GreenMarkerPen]

I only feed my strawbs after fruiting when I take all the foliage off.
they then get the dregs& rotted leaves from my trusted comfrey juice.

[united4ever]

fresh compost yes (as in not used before - straight out of the bag).....what do you do with old compost? not ok to reuse it due to weeds?

[Ifailed]

add old compost to your garden, it adds extra organic matter that improves the soil.

[shovetheholly]

The compost has enough nutrients in for 6 weeks or so, by which time they should hopefully be ready for a new pot and another load of compost.

A lot of what you do after that depends on what you're growing for (and what variety of tomatoes you are doing, as the pruning you do varies a lot according to cherry versus regular). There's new thinking that the best way to grow tomatoes is to treat em mean, and accept a smaller amount of fruit per plant for a way better taste. I notice that James Wong advocates ditching the growbags and putting them in the earth, pruning them so they are kept small but packing in more plants, being sparing with watering, feeding with molasses tonic just once a month, and spraying with soluble aspirin solution. I'm going to give most of those things a go this year!

[GreenMarkerPen]

soluble aspirin
never heard of that.
but yes, they don't need much. and I take most of the leaves off as well. prevents blight and the toms concentrate on fruiting.

[shovetheholly]

Yep - and not just for tomatoes either, for loads of other things too, including herbs. It concentrates sugars and aromatics, apparently - an effect produced by the fact it minics a plant hormone.

I am increasingly convinced that if we find the holy grail, it will be made of aspirin. So many health benefits from one drug - and now plants benefit too?!